Subaru Legacy 2.0TD Sports Tourer

So, big deal subaru! You put a diesel engine in one of your cars. Not exactly ground breaking is it? Not exactly the sort of thing that should get anybody excited. Well be excited. This after all four is Subaru and this is their fi rst diesel engine. Think about that. It’s 2008 and their fi rst diesel. They are either mad, slow, arrogant or naive. Some would say all but I say better late than never. Then they give us one of, if not the, best diesels around – and before they put it on sale in Japan.

I love all diesels and loved them before they became green and VRT friendly, but this one is special. It sounds different, revs different and feels different. It’s amazingly responsive, powerful and sporty. It is the fi rst boxer diesel from the company that gives us excellent boxer petrol engines. A boxer engine is a good description insofar as the punching action of a boxer is replicated by the action of the pistons being horizontally opposed. This means that it is extremely smooth. With the engine mounted on liquid mounts and a low centre of gravity it enhances grip and road holding.

In this car the road holding takes on a level of excellence akin to a race prepared car. It’s phenomenal. It’s the best I’ve experienced in a very long time. On a particularly, increasingly common though, wet August day there wasn’t a hint of give. Its limpet like adhesion to the road was untroubled. If the Beach Boys drove this car they certainly wouldn’t pick up good vibrations, there’s virtually none.

Road, wind and engine noise are minimal and were inaudible with the radio at low volume. Subaru have introduced this engine into the existing Legacy and the looks are a bit divisive. I don’t know why. To my eye it looks premium and well engineered. My wife on the other hand didn’t like the look at all. The kids sided against me too. Boo to them. Us that know, know we are right, isn’t that so?

There is a needle in the dash that shows how economically you are driving. I didn’t need one to tell me that I wasn’t. I couldn’t. I just had to give this car the ingredient it needed to get the most out of it – diesel, via a well depressed accelerator pedal. I was very taken by the fuel return and accept Subaru’s fi gures of 4.8l/100km (extra-urban) and 7.0l/100mm (urban) as achievable, but not the way I was driving. Easily achievable is the 0-100km/hr time of 8.9 seconds but it feels a lot faster. You also get a three year 160,000km warranty.

The price needs special mention because for €32,795 you get one seriously good car. It has everything you’d want including alloys, HID headlamps, roof rails, pop-out washers, electrically folding wing mirrors, MP3/iPod input, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, multiple bags and ABS and EBD. To fi nish it off properly, you’ll have to wait until next year to be able to order leather – a must – or reversing sensors. For a model that is a premium player, that it is seriously cheap. You won’t be able to rest your bottom in anything remotely as good for at least €8k to €10k more. There is also the incredible fact that the car is 4wd. You read correctly, this goes to explain more than anything why the road holding is practically peerless. Added to that the frugality of diesel and the car is nigh on unbeatable.

This model is the Sports Tourer, an estate to me and you. I think it’s the most practical model. It’s very close to my perfect car. All that is needed for me would be the insertion of a VW/Audi’esque DSG (automatic) gearbox.

I can assure you that this was one of my favourite drives this year and if I had the price of this car to spend I’d be buying one.

www.subaru.ie

RRP = from €32,795
St. Patrick's CU monthly loan
Repayment per €1,000.
Rate = 6.5%
Tel: 01 632 5100 or 01 632 5125

3 Years = €30.64
4 Years = €23.71
5 Years = €19.56ˆ

Manufacturers fuel consumption figs.:
Urban 7.1/100km
Extra Urban 5.0l/100km
CO2 149/km

Tax Band C
New Car Assessment Programme
Rating TBA